Carnival Spirit in Acapulco 2 · Jean-Philippe Boulet · CC BY 3.0 · cropped
Carnival Cruise Line informed guests aboard Carnival Spirit on September 27 that it has reordered all four Hawaii port calls on the ship’s 15 night roundtrip sailing from Seattle because of Hurricane Nolo, putting Hilo first instead of Honolulu while keeping the time in each port unchanged, according to a guest letter shared with cruise news outlet Cruise Hive.
If you are booked on this sailing, move every Hawaii shore plan forward or back by the new port days now, because excursions follow the revised order and only tours that cannot be reaccommodated will trigger a separate notice. Travelers comparing Spirit class options before booking a Pacific sailing can review Carnival Spirit vs Carnival Miracle: How to Choose to see how the ship differs from its Seattle based sister.
- Sailing: Carnival Spirit departed Seattle on September 23 for a 15 night Hawaii roundtrip, returning October 8.
- Change dated September 27: Port order revised to Hilo, Kahului, Honolulu, then Nawiliwili; port hours unchanged.
- Storm: Hurricane Nolo was a Category 3 storm with 115 mph winds about 365 miles south southwest of Honolulu at 11 a.m. HST September 27, per the National Hurricane Center.
- Excursions: Prepurchased Carnival shore excursions move to the matching new port day automatically.
Revised Hawaii Port Order and Dates
The original schedule called at Honolulu first, followed by Nawiliwili, Kahului, and Hilo. Under the revision described in the Carnival letter, the 2,124 guest ship calls at Hilo from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, September 29, then Kahului on Wednesday, September 30 from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Honolulu on Thursday, October 1 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Nawiliwili on Friday, October 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cruise Hive published the full revised day by day schedule after a guest aboard shared the notification letter.
Carnival framed the shuffle as a precaution to keep the ship farther from the storm track and to protect time ashore. The letter states: “Based on the storm’s forecasted track, we have adjusted our itinerary to prioritize the safety and comfort of everyone on board while also helping to provide the best possible experience in port.” It adds: “While we still expect to visit all scheduled ports, the sequence of our calls has changed.” No port is dropped and no call is shortened, so the decision for guests is about rebooking days, not replacing missed stops.
The geography explains the choice. Hilo sits about 212 miles southeast of Honolulu, placing the ship at the easternmost scheduled destination first while Nolo passes well to the south and southwest. At the time of the letter, no hurricane watches or warnings covered the Big Island or any of the ship’s four port destinations, and the reorder is designed to keep it that way by avoiding rougher seas and harbor conditions near the storm’s path.
What Changes for Shore Excursions
Carnival said shore excursions purchased through the line will move to the appropriate new port day without guest action. That matters most for date locked activities such as luaus, catamaran sails, and Pearl Harbor programs that sell out specific sailings. Guests should still open the Carnival Hub planner or visit the shore excursion desk early in the voyage to confirm that each tour kept its party size, pickup point, and timing on the shifted day.
If a tour cannot be accommodated on the new day, Carnival said affected guests will be notified separately, which in practice means a refund or an alternate tour offer. Independent excursions booked directly with Hawaii operators need manual changes, so contact those vendors now with the new sequence of Hilo on September 29, Kahului on September 30, Honolulu on October 1, and Nawiliwili on October 2. Travel insurance records should also reflect the revised port days in case a weather related claim arises later in the sailing.
Guests who booked refundable hotel nights or interisland flights around a Honolulu first assumption should recheck those plans as well. The ship now reaches Honolulu on October 1 rather than at the start of the Hawaii sequence, so any private arrangement tied to the original first port day moves by two days.
Hurricane Nolo Track and Island Conditions
The National Hurricane Center 11 a.m. HST September 27 advisory placed Nolo about 365 miles south southwest of Honolulu, moving west at 12 mph with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. The forecast turns the storm northwest by Sunday night and keeps its center well south and southwest of the main Hawaiian Islands while it approaches the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the days that follow.
Even without a direct landfall on the main islands, the advisory warns of gusty winds and swells on east and south facing shores over the next few days, exactly while Carnival Spirit works through its Hawaii sequence. That swell risk is the practical reason a cruise line reorders ports: calmer harbor approaches protect tender operations, gangway schedules, and the full hours ashore that guests paid for. Nolo is the same storm system that already forced a delayed Honolulu embarkation for another Hawaii sailing this weekend, as covered in Pride of America Honolulu Embarkation Delayed to Sept 28.
Carnival asked guests to follow the Good to Know Channel on stateroom televisions for further updates, signaling that additional tweaks remain possible if Nolo’s track shifts. Travelers on later fall Hawaii departures should treat this sailing as an early warning: storm season overlap can reorder port days with little notice, so flexible excursion policies and refundable pre cruise arrangements carry real value through October.
Seattle Schedule and Victoria Call Hold
The transpacific framing of the voyage is untouched. After the four Hawaii calls, Carnival Spirit spends several days at sea, stops at Victoria, British Columbia on Wednesday, October 7 from 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m., and returns to Seattle for debarkation on Thursday, October 8. Guests with flights home from Seattle and hotel nights in the city need no changes based on the current notice.
The Victoria call matters for Canadian entry planning, since an evening only stop still requires proper identification for the border crossing. Keep passports and required documents accessible for October 7 even though nothing about that port changed. Broader Pacific cruise planning context is available through the Deep Arrival cruise hub for travelers weighing Seattle roundtrips against other West Coast departures.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Are aboard Carnival Spirit now | Confirm each shore excursion on its new port day: Hilo September 29, Kahului September 30, Honolulu October 1, Nawiliwili October 2. |
| Booked independent Hawaii tours | Contact each operator with the revised port days and reconfirm pickup times before September 29. |
| Hold Honolulu hotels tied to the old order | Shift refundable nights to match the October 1 Honolulu call instead of the original first port day. |
| Are eyeing a later fall Hawaii sailing | Choose flexible excursion terms and refundable pre cruise plans while tropical activity continues. |
September 29 Hilo call is the first gate. Verify Hilo tours for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. before the ship arrives, since it is now the opening Hawaii port rather than the finale.
October 1 Honolulu call is the second gate. Move Pearl Harbor programs, luaus, and private Honolulu arrangements to October 1 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Ongoing Nolo track updates are the watch trigger. Check the stateroom Good to Know Channel and the National Hurricane Center advisories daily, because further port tweaks remain possible.
Did Carnival Spirit cancel any Hawaii ports?
No. Carnival still expects to visit all four scheduled ports, only in a new order: Hilo, Kahului, Honolulu, then Nawiliwili from September 29 through October 2.
Do guests need to rebook Carnival shore excursions?
No action is required for line sold tours, which move to the matching new port day. Guests will be notified separately only if a tour cannot be accommodated.
Is the Seattle return date still October 8?
Yes. The Victoria call on October 7 and the Seattle debarkation on October 8 are unchanged by the September 27 notice.
Why did Carnival reorder the ports?
Carnival cited Nolo’s forecasted track, saying the change prioritizes safety and comfort while protecting port experiences. The National Hurricane Center places the Category 3 storm well south and southwest of the main islands with gusty winds and swells expected.
